Health Economics for Public Health

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and Understanding

Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

• The structure and functioning of health care markets
• The basic premise under which allocation decisions in the public/global health field are taken
• The concepts behind health economic analysis and decision making

Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Critically analyse the advantages and disadvantages of government intervention in health care.
• Apply a global perspective to understanding the resource implications and economic efficiency of health care systems

Transferable and Generic Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Communicate health economic evaluations and information.

• Principles of health economics including: the notions of scarcity, supply and demand, distinctions between need and demand, opportunity cost, discounting, time horizons, margins, efficiency and equity
• Demand for health: determinants of demand, elasticity, demand for health care and demand for health; empirical demand functions
• Market failures: insurance, moral hazard, selection and causality
• Systems of health and social care financing and the role of incentives to achieve desired end-points
• Techniques of economic appraisal including marginal analysis, option appraisal, cost-effectiveness cost-utility/ cost-benefit analysis, decision analysis and modelling, the measurement of health benefits in terms of QALYs and related measures, e.g., DALYs
• The role of economic evaluation and priority setting in health care decision making including the cost effectiveness of Public Health and Public Health interventions and involvement

Teaching and learning methods

The module will consist of lectures with theoretical analysis and real-world examples and applications to improve students' learning and analytical skills. In-class group discussions of research papers will facilitate deeper understanding and encourage critical thinking.

Resources & Reading list

General Resources

Other. You will access to relevant study materials including lecture slides, selected reading and assignment details/electronic submission via Blackboard.

Textbooks

Guinness L. and Wiseman V. (Eds). (2011). Introduction to Health Economics (2nd edition) Understanding Public Health Series.. Open University Press.

Fox-Rushby J. and Cairns J.. Economic Evaluation. Open University Press.

Assessment strategy

The assessment includes both a formative and a summative element. The formative assessment is a short written assignment about healthcare. The summative assessment includes a multiple choice question (MCQ) examination covering all the topics of the module and an individual written assignment related to health care systems. You must pass the MCQ quiz by achieving a pass mark of 70% or above. If you fail the MCQ quiz you are allowed to take it again until you pass.

The pass mark for the summative written assignment is 50%. If you have failed the module, you will have the opportunity to submit another piece of work at the next referral (re-sit) opportunity. On passing your referral, your final module mark will be capped at 50%.

Formative

This is how we’ll give you feedback as you are learning. It is not a formal test or exam.

Written assignment

• Assessment Type: Formative
• Feedback: Via Blackboard
• Final Assessment: No
• Group Work: No

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.

Repeat Information

Repeat type: Internal & External